2. Bailey
Bailey
“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night?” Daniel asks as I’m putting my sweater back on a couple hours after we left Bar Code.
“No, I’m good. I already texted Aiden and asked him to come get me. I’ve got some homework to work on tomorrow and a busy rest of the weekend,” I respond.
I do have a busy weekend, but I don’t actually have very much homework.
If I’m being honest, the night was kind of disappointing.
I met Daniel in line for coffee yesterday and he seemed like a really nice guy.
He was sweet, bought my coffee (which is one hundred percent my love language), and we sat down and chatted for a few minutes.
We exchanged numbers and he asked what I was doing for Halloween.
I told him about my plans to hang out with my friends at Bar Code.
I was a little put off when he said that Bar Code was lame, but he’d come since I was going to be there.
Bar Code is not lame, it’s just not where most people want to hang out.
Our little group loves the bar, and I wouldn’t want to hang out anywhere else.
While we were dancing, I really thought we would have chemistry physically, and he was still mostly sweet.
When we went back to the table and were talking to everyone, I could tell that he felt some type of way about Aiden, like he was threatened by him, which is nothing new.
Anytime I’ve tried to date a guy, Aiden is nothing but nice to them, but they are always threatened and weirded out by our friendship.
They always try to put distance between me and Aiden, and the moment that starts I break up with them.
I won’t let anyone come between me and my best friend.
I’d rather be single the rest of my life than lose Aiden because some guy isn’t secure enough to realize my best friend is a guy.
My vibrator is better than any guy I’ve ever been with, anyway.
We had fun dancing, and when he asked me to go back to his place I agreed.
I’d expected more–our chemistry while dancing was pretty good.
It was more of a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ and then he was rolling off me and strolling into the bathroom before I realized we’d even started.
While he was in the bathroom I texted Aiden and asked him to come get me.
I get up to go to the bathroom, once Daniel is done in there.
I quickly pile my hair in a bun on top of my head and use the bathroom, cleaning myself up the best I can.
I will definitely be taking a shower when I get home.
I check my phone and see a text from Aiden has come through less than a minute after the one I sent, like he was just sitting there waiting for my text, letting me know he would be here in ten minutes.
Honestly, his overprotective ass probably was just sitting there waiting for my text to come through.
I love that man more than anything in the world, but he’s a bit of a mother hen.
Whoever he ends up with better be ready to deal with his hovering.
With a quick goodbye, I walk out of Daniel’s apartment and head down stairs.
Aiden is leaning against his forest-green Jeep Wrangler, which he’s parked right outside the building.
He’s in a pair of low-slung grey sweatpants—his usual—and a black long-sleeved henley.
The material stretches across his broad shoulders.
It contrasts perfectly against his dirty blond hair, unkempt as if he’d been running his fingers through it for the last few hours.
He looks like he’s just rolled out of bed, and he still somehow manages to be the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.
He’s always been the hottest guy in the room—not that I’d ever tell him that.
It would go straight to his head. When I step outside, his honey-brown eyes assess me, making sure nothing is wrong.
“You alright?” he asks me when I immediately wrap my arms around his middle and bury my face in his chest, inhaling his pine-and-citrus scent. I honestly don’t know why I feel overwhelmed at this moment, but I do.
After a few minutes like that, I tilt my head up to look at him. His face is set in a hard scowl and he looks like he’s ready to walk into Daniel’s apartment and kill him.
“I’m fine. I just felt overwhelmed for a minute.
He didn’t do anything wrong, so no need to go all caveman and kill him.
I think I’m just disappointed in how the night went.
Daniel seemed like a nice guy when we met yesterday, but as the night progressed I stopped being sure.
After tonight, I know he’s not the one, not that I thought he was to begin with.
” I pull away and move to get into the Jeep.
I don’t want to talk about this anymore honestly.
So I change the subject. “I need to get some homework done tonight before game night tomorrow, want to hang out at my apartment?” He opens the passenger door for me, and gives me his hand to help me climb in. I’m too short to get in without help because of the lift kit he put in.
“Only if you make me a coffee. I’m tired, but I also need to get this fucking paper for that stupid English class done,” he says after he rounds the hood of the Jeep and hops into the driver’s seat.
“Can we stop at Taco Bell instead? I need a Baja Blast and a chicken quesadilla.”
“I’m so down! You know how I feel about cinnamon twists!”
“You’re such a freak!” I laugh at his weird taste in sweet treats.
“You sure you’re okay, Blue? You still seem upset.”
“Honestly, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
He glances my way, one eyebrow raised in a look that says, really?
I know he will always worry about me, and I can’t hide anything from him.
Being friends since we were four means he knows me better than anyone else.
We have basically spent every waking moment together, and countless sleeping ones as well.
Because I have shitty parents, I spent the night at the Bakers more times than I spent at my house.
My parents were always out late or out of town, and Elizabeth Baker, who I’ve pretty much always called Momma, had a rule, ‘if your parents aren’t home by eight , you’re staying at our house.
’ She stuck to it ninety-percent of the time they weren’t home by eight.
I honestly didn’t mind, I loved being at their house.
If we’re being really honest, Momma and Matthew Baker are more my parents than my actual parents.
Bear, Maddy, Maggy, and Charly are the siblings I always wanted—and they are my family.
Age 10
“God, I hate him!” I shout as I storm into the Baker’s house, slamming the door behind me.
“Bailey Nicole, I know you did not just slam that door,” Momma yells from the kitchen, “And we don’t hate in this house.”
“Sorry, Momma,” I mutter before walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch next to Pop.
“What’s going on, Bee?” Pop scoots closer to me and throws his arm over my shoulder pulling me close. I lay my head against him and the first tear rolls down my cheek.
“You know that Father/Daughter dance Maggy and Charly asked you to go to with them?” I ask quietly. Our school is putting on a Father/Daughter dance in a couple weeks, and I really wanted my dad to go.
Pop sighs before answering, as if he knows what’s coming. “Yes.”
“I asked my dad to go with me, and he said, and I quote, ‘I have more important things to deal with than a silly dance.’ before walking out of the room like the conversation never happened.”
I know I have two parents, but I’m convinced neither of them care about me. I wanted my dad there—just once—for something that was important to me. I always show up for them, even when I don’t want to. I wish just once that they could do the same for me.
“I’m sorry, my girl.” He plants a kiss on my forehead.
“Pop, I know you’re not my real dad, but could I maybe go with you and the girls?” I ask shyly, “You’ve always felt like more of a dad to me, anyway. I don’t know why I didn’t just ask you first.”
“Of course you can, my girl. You know I love you like my own.”
I look up at him, and the smile on his face is genuine. It’s the same smile he gives Magnolia and Charlotte.
“You don’t think the girls will mind if I tag along?” I ask.
“Please come, Bee! It will be so much more fun if you’re with us!” Charlotte says as she runs into the living room.
“Yeah, Bailey. You know you’re like our sister. We want you to come,” Magnolia says, much quieter than Charly did.
“Girls, you know better than to eavesdrop,” Pop says, one eyebrow raised, a soft scowl overtaking his face.
“Thanks guys,” I say, wiping the tears from my eyes. I knew coming over here was the right decision, it always is. The Bakers always know how to make everything better.
“Don’t lie to me Blue. Tell me what’s really going on with you,” Aiden responds, dragging me out of my daydream.
That day wasn’t the first time I realized that my parents didn’t give a shit about me, and it most definitely wasn’t the last, but it was one time that stuck out to me.
A couple weeks later, on the night of the dance, my dad got so pissed when he saw us in the driveway getting into Pop’s truck.
He asked Pop where he was taking his daughter.
Pop motioned for me, Charly and Maggy to get into the car and then walked over to my dad.
I don’t know what was said, but Pop was yelling, I’d never seen him so angry before, and Father’s face was beat red.
I’m pretty sure I saw steam coming out of his ears.
Father stomped into our house, and Pop got into the car.
We had such a fun night, getting dinner before the dance, then dancing the night away.
I never found out what Pop said to my father that night, I never even asked, but I’m sure Pop put him in his place.